ABSTRACT
The utility of values clarification tools for advance care planning needs further study. This descriptive, qualitative study aimed to describe patients' and surrogates' experiences using a Values Discussion Guide (VDG), both with and without a professional facilitator. Ten male Veterans Health Administration outpatients over age 50 and their health care agents completed audio-taped discussions, both without and with a facilitator, and responded to structured feedback interviews. Most participants found a discussion using the VDG to be helpful and reassuring. Discussions varied in quantity and quality, and participants varied in preferring self-guided versus professionally facilitated discussions. The best interchanges were elicited by questions about prior experience with medical decisions, for oneself or others, and trusted versus non-trusted others to help with decision-making. A VDG appears a useful tool in a repertoire of advance care planning tools, which need to be geared towards the needs and abilities of particular patients and families.
Subject(s)
Advance Care Planning/standards , Communication , Interviews as Topic/methods , Physician-Patient Relations , Practice Guidelines as Topic/standards , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Attitude of Health Personnel , Attitude to Death , Attitude to Health , Boston , Choice Behavior , Decision Making , Educational Status , Feedback , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Interviews as Topic/standards , Male , Middle Aged , Qualitative Research , Veterans/psychologyABSTRACT
Our study provides an update of the incidence of oesophageal cancer in the West Midland region of England and Wales from 1992-96. A total of 2,671 cases of oesophageal cancer were identified during the 5-year study period, with an age-standardised annual incidence (ASR) of 5.24 per 100,000 (95% CI: 5.02, 5.45). Similar numbers of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma were found. Only 152 (5.6%) had no histology. There was a 5-fold difference in age-standardised annual incidence rates between males and females for adenocarcinoma of oesophagus, but no gender difference for squamous cell carcinoma. The parallel but higher ASR in males compared to females for adenocarcinoma of both oesophagus and cardia merits further investigation. The similarities in the patterns of age- and sex-specific rates and in the socioeconomic profiles could indicate a common aetiology for adenocarcinoma of oesophagus and gastric cardia. Quality control in Cancer Registries needs to focus on the accuracy and consistency of subsite classification to ensure that trends in incidence are identified. In the absence of accurate subsite classification of stomach cancers, the proportions of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of oesophagus (or the absolute rate of adenocarcinoma of oesophagus) may provide a useful tool in indicating whether adenocarcinoma of gastric cardia is likely to be increasing in incidence.
